Social Distance Training
Augmented reality tool safely teaches important skill.
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Social Distance Training
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this app.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Social Distance Training is an education app for iOS devices. Kids can use the app to get a sense of what social distancing really looks like using a hologram in the shape of a person. The app provides a readout of the distance between a user and the hologram. Read the developer's privacy policy for details on how your kid’s information is collected, used, and shared and any choices you may have in the matter, and note that privacy policies and terms of service frequently change.
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What’s It About?
To use SOCIAL DISTANCE TRAINING, kids have to allow the app to access the camera on their device. Then they hold up the device in an open space. A message pops up on the screen, prompting kids to tap so they can set the AR (augmented reality.) This puts the holographic person into the scene. Kids choose either Imperial or Metric units. The screen then displays the distance between kids and the holographic person, with a message that reads, “Safe Distance” when there are at least six feet between them. Additional features include a description of social distancing, a brief summary about how to use the app, and links to site with COVID-19 advice.
Is It Any Good?
Many kids and parents lack experience in social distancing, and this app helps to illustrate it in a safe, concrete way – once users get the hang of it. It’s somewhat difficult at first to figure out how to place the hologram in a meaningful way. For example, it doesn’t make sense to place it hovering over a table or in mid-air. Kids will only be able to grasp the social-distancing concept if the hologram is placed on the floor and, better yet, next to something like an area rug that can be used as a point of reference. This allows kids to clearly visualize the safe distance of six feet. The information that the app provides is useful, but the text is set against the camera background making it difficult to read. Separate screens to house this information and tips for how to place the hologram might be useful. All in all, this is a solid tool to help kids get a sense of what safe social distancing really means.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the importance of social distancing to reduce the spread of diseases and how to use Social Distance Training to become familiar with this concept. Discuss how social distancing can help with airborne diseases in particular, which can travel from person to person via coughing, laughing, sneezing, etc.
Discuss the idea that social distancing can help our communities as a whole since people may not realize they are carrying a disease and can unknowingly spread it.
Talk about the importance of staying social in other ways, such as through digital media and phone calls with friends and loved ones.
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
- Skills: Responsibility & Ethics: following codes of conduct, making wise decisions, Health & Fitness: preventing sickness
- Pricing structure: Free
- Release date: April 10, 2020
- Category: Education
- Publisher: Discovery Education
- Version: 1.0
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 11.0 or later
- Last updated: April 29, 2020
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